Introducing Alcinous & Arete: Phaeacian Royalty! (The Odyssey Book 7 - Milo's Book Club)

[00:00:00]Hi guys, welcome back to Milo's book club. We're reading the Odyssey and today we're focusing on book seven. A couple of quick reminders before we begin. My name is Milo >> and I am Ruthanne.

[00:00:13]>> And if you want to check out some of the other books that we've covered within the Odyssey, you can check the video description or the show notes. But we're squarely focusing on the magical kingdom of Fia today in book seven.

[00:00:27]>> Good.

[00:00:28]>> Shall we begin? Yes. Let's begin.

[00:00:30]>> Okay. So, we've just had the lovely tale >> of Adysius washing up on the shores and meeting Norse and being given a plan.

[00:00:42]And he's patiently following that plan to the tea in this grove, which is where he also gives a little prayer to Athena.

[00:00:52]Mhm.

[00:00:52]>> And we mentioned in book six how Athena had been a little idiosyncratic for a moment >> and said, >> "I don't want to help you, buddy. You know, you're asking for some assistance here. Sort yourself out. How about that?"

[00:01:07]>> But that immediately changes in the opening of book seven. So Adysius begins walking to town because Norse has reached the king's palace, which is kind of his signal to start moving. Mhm.

[00:01:20]>> And Athena does step in immediately and says, "Yeah, I'm going to give you some some mist.

[00:01:27]>> Going to going to make your life a little bit easier. Going to shroud you."

[00:01:30]>> And my first thought on reading this was, "Was this really necessary?"

[00:01:34]>> Well, exactly. I mean, I had the same thought, you know, just sort of saying, "Okay, you got Nosa Nasa to tell him what to do. Um, he, you know, do you need to shroud him in a mist?" Right.

[00:01:46]Right. You know, >> I almost wonder if if Athena feels like she's having some of her planning taken away by Norsica being so so sort of smart with her her decision-m and so she's like, "Well, I want to contribute too, guys."

[00:02:01]>> Yeah. [laughter] [gasps] >> So, >> she would strike you down for that.

[00:02:05]>> She would. Yes. Oh. Oh. Oh, no. Yeah.

[00:02:08]>> So, Athena takes on a disguise >> and meets Adysius like a girl, young and unmarried. Not sure why that's relevant to be honest, but young and unmarried with a water pitcher. And Adysius stops her and says, "Child, will you escort me to King Alenus who rules this land?"

[00:02:30]Now, I I almost wonder if if Athena's reasoning for the mist is not really to protect Adess, but it's because if he's not shrouded, he could ask anyone for directions and they would all help. And I wonder if she's like, I kind of want to I want to talk to him a little bit more.

[00:02:48]>> Or maybe they would get the wind up or something. Although, they don't seem like that kind of people. They seem really nice. That's well there's there are >> there's certainly a possibility >> that they would react badly because the slave girls ran away >> where Norse stayed behind and so there's certainly an argument to be made that maybe they might not like strangers and indeed there is a comment somewhere in here about that where sometimes the fatians are a little hostile to those that wash up on their shores.

[00:03:17]>> Well, she says that to him people here are not too keen on strangers coming from abroad.

[00:03:22]>> Yeah. So maybe that's Athena actually being pretty wise and just looking out for him as as she needs to do.

[00:03:28]>> Yes.

[00:03:29]>> So she leads him in the mist shroud.

[00:03:33]>> Yes.

[00:03:33]>> And as we approach the palace, you start to get some lovely description of this space. It begins with uh a really lovely line which is maybe line 45 or so. He was amazed to see the ships and harbors and meeting places of the noble men and high walls set with stakes on top. A wonder.

[00:03:55]>> Yeah.

[00:03:55]>> And the exclamation mark there is so fun. A wonder.

[00:03:59]>> They reached the splendid palace of the king.

[00:04:02]>> And I like the fact that then Athena winks at him.

[00:04:05]>> Yes.

[00:04:05]>> You know, in disguise, she winks at him.

[00:04:08]And it's lovely because Athena also with her epithet of being of the flashing eyes, the gray eyes, the owl eyes, >> it makes sense that she would be the one to wink. It's and she's also so cheeky, I feel like. So it really >> does fit her character in a in a wonderful way for that to be the choice there.

[00:04:27]>> Now, the speech that she then gives to me >> is a bit unusual >> for an unmarried young woman with a picture.

[00:04:34]>> Exactly. [laughter] I think that it breaks at least somewhat.

[00:04:40]>> Adysius doesn't seem to notice. He doesn't seem to sort of go, "Hold on.

[00:04:45]You're a suspiciously knowledgeable child that is talking to me, but she gives him essentially some backstory of who all of these people are." Now for the sake of brevity here, I think the main thing that we need to take from this sort of 20 odd lines of text is that the fiats are led by King Alenus.

[00:05:08]King Alsus's father was Norphus and his father was Poseidon.

[00:05:15]>> Yes.

[00:05:15]>> So there is god lineage here >> in the blood. And that maybe helps explain a little bit why they are not just any old group of people, but they are a magical people and there are people who are favored by the gods because of this.

[00:05:32]>> Yes. and that they know boats, that they know the sea, they know how to sail, and they and they can um they're special.

[00:05:39]It's special in that way. It's magical in a number of ways, but it makes sense that Poseidon is like maybe a founding father because they understand sailing.

[00:05:49]>> Yep. Very much so. They also have one last quirk that I do want to point out, which is that they've married >> very close to home here, so to speak.

[00:05:59]So, Alsus marries his niece.

[00:06:01]>> Yes. His niece is Ariti and that is then the queen that we see throughout this.

[00:06:06]But that is the daughter of his brother who falls uh to Apollo I think it is. So there's there's some pretty close familial relations happening there.

[00:06:18]>> And I don't know if that would have been very normal at the time >> perhaps.

[00:06:22]>> Yeah, I think it is. I think it is. I mean it's it's not >> it's not looked on in the same way as we do today.

[00:06:28]>> Of course. Yeah. But there's certainly no comment made about it. Especially in royal families say.

[00:06:33]>> Yeah. They just sort of do their thing.

[00:06:34]So we then get into this description of the palace. And >> I mean just I think we have to read just a little bit of this. Just a little bit.

[00:06:42]Where should we where should we pick from? Should we maybe start at at at pillars somewhere there? Maybe all the walls. The walls.

[00:06:48]>> The walls. Should we do that?

[00:06:49]>> Yeah.

[00:06:50]>> I'll take a couple lines. You take a couple lines. The walls were bronze all over. From the entrance back to the bedrooms and along them ran a freeze of blue. Gold doors held safe the house.

[00:07:01]Pillars of silver rose up from the threshold, the lintil silver and the handle gold. Silver and golden dogs stood at each side, made by her feistus with great artistry to guard the home of brave Alsonus, immortal dogs unaging for all time. You continue.

[00:07:18]>> At intervals were seats set in the walls right from the doorway to the inner rooms with delicate fine throws. the work of women. Fishian lords and ladies sat upon them eating and drinking since they lacked for nothing.

[00:07:33]>> Wait, hold on. I've noticed something very interesting.

[00:07:36]>> Okay, >> we are both reading the Emily Wilson translation, correct?

[00:07:40]>> Yes, >> there's a difference.

[00:07:42]>> No.

[00:07:42]>> Yeah.

[00:07:44]>> Okay.

[00:07:44]>> Wa, that was so I thought you jumped a line and then I looked at your page. Okay, so let's start from at intervals. At intervals where seats set in the walls >> good so far.

[00:07:57]>> Right from the doorway to the inner rooms.

[00:07:59]>> Good. Still >> with delicate fine throws the work of women.

[00:08:04]>> Different.

[00:08:05]>> Ah.

[00:08:05]>> So I have with soft embroidered throws the work of women.

[00:08:10]>> Ooh. Somebody tell better tell.

[00:08:12]>> Yeah. I wonder why there's a difference.

[00:08:17]There must be either she decided that she was going to improve her her translation and and tweak it in a future edition or >> something else has gone on there. I really am intrigued. I'm so glad we happened to read that section cuz we would never have known.

[00:08:34]>> So yeah, it's it's a beautiful passage if uh slightly perplexing one now based on that.

[00:08:40]>> And it really hammers home how special Fia is. And do you know what? It's special in a different way than Sparta was. Sparta was opulent and they talked about how full of of um expensive things there were, but this is different. It's it is um classier, you know what I mean? It's got a finesse of loveliness and it's not a brash um I don't know, conspicuous consumption thing, if you know what I Menaaus gives me a little bit more tacky vibes.

[00:09:15]>> Yeah. Yeah.

[00:09:16]>> Whereas this, it's sort of like an old money versus new money situation. And Menaaus quite literally is new money.

[00:09:22]>> He's sort of just come on this where >> and this is all beautiful and and it includes the lords and the ladies of the town and everybody sits there with in this wonderful place eating and drinking and since they lacked for nothing. And do you know what makes me think Milo is that? Do you know they talk about the um uh the Olympian gods sitting up in Mount Olympus and and and drinking ambrosia or drinking nectar and having ambrosia and it's almost as if so what's the perfect life? The perfect life is to sit around in um a very beautiful atmosphere and be feasting and drinking and enjoying yourself. I mean, sounds good to me.

[00:10:01]>> And it's it's extra interesting because Homer has done another selfinsert here in my view where he goes from saying all of this past tense stuff was happening.

[00:10:16]But he then flips and so the king had 50 slave girls in the house >> and then he goes to Fatian men have present special talent for launching ships to sea. the women there are expert weavers. So, he's sort of breaking out of his story and saying, "Guys, this is a really cool place. It's amazing."

[00:10:38]>> It continues on the next page >> where he says, "The trees are tall. They not It's not that they were, they are tall. They are luxurant with fruit. The apples, the pears, the crop never runs out present day.

[00:10:50]>> And fruit grows all year long, all year, all year round, >> which clearly is just another indicator.

[00:10:57]This is a magical place.

[00:10:58]>> Very magical place.

[00:10:59]>> Yeah. I mean, the amount of of uh description here that we get of this is so lovely. But >> I also want to call out when it's happening in the narrative. So, if we go back to this previous page, 211, and we're looking for line sort of 83 or so, Adysius approached the royal house and stood there by the threshold.

[00:11:23]It's in the threshold. And so he's in this doorway and I think that sort of gives him a moment of of of of sight around the entire space where in exactly as you said that liinal moment, >> he takes stock of his surroundings. And it's then when we break out of Homer kind of getting carried away and rattling off how amazing Fascia is that we then finally hear hardened long-suffering Adysius stood there instead astonished in his heart and then stroed across the palace threshold >> and found the lordly leaders of Fata pouring drink offerings for sharpeyed Hermes to whom they gave librations before bed.

[00:12:02]>> Yeah.

[00:12:02]>> So he stands there for a minute. He does his head on a swivel moment.

[00:12:07]>> Homer goes, "It was crazy, guys." Yeah.

[00:12:10]>> And then he steps inside >> which I love. I think it's it's such a human >> touch to the story that that is the structure in that particular moment.

[00:12:19]Also, >> he gets inside, he reaches Ariti, he's still shrouded in mist.

[00:12:24]>> Mhm.

[00:12:25]>> He throws his arms around Ariti's knees and then the mist disperses.

[00:12:29]>> Yeah.

[00:12:30]>> Which is crazy because we've gone from being worried whether or not he should supplicate Norse by kissing her knees or by staying back. Granted, he was naked, so it was a bit >> Now he's quafted and and and and more more handsome than ever.

[00:12:44]>> He absolutely is. But even so, >> a man grabbing my knees from thin air would startle me any day of the week, no matter how handsome. So, he certainly is emboldened, I suppose, by the confidence that he's been given by Athena and by everything else that's been going on here.

[00:13:01]>> Got to get used to magic, you know.

[00:13:03]>> Yeah, I guess so. And he's got a lot of it in his life. Yeah.

[00:13:05]>> So, at this point, he's not batting an eyelid. No.

[00:13:09]>> So he supplicates.

[00:13:11]>> Yeah.

[00:13:11]>> And begs Ariti for help as he is told to do. He doesn't >> He's following the directions.

[00:13:17]>> Exactly. Doesn't go for Alsonus first.

[00:13:19]And there are some really interesting I don't want to say exchanges here, but it's lack of exchanges that I think are worth paying attention to because I think our understanding of Alenus comes not from his conversation with Adysius, but the lack thereof. He fails to address Adysius for quite a long time here. And we'll see that play out. And and to me, that that tells us a bit more about his character. We'll see if you agree as we go along.

[00:13:50]>> Yeah. And the other thing is that um the queen he he um supplicates. He throws himself around the knees of the queen.

[00:13:56]And we don't hear anything from her.

[00:13:57]>> Yeah.

[00:13:58]>> You know that she was like running the show or something like that and that she would say okay this and that. But we don't. We don't. It's interesting.

[00:14:05]>> So they sit down after he's made this this this sort of hopeful speech to Ariti for his benefit for help. And it's an elder statesman of Fatia Echanius who speaks up to say guys we got to treat this guy nicely like he's he's a stranger and he needs to be extended the zenil custom that we'd extend to anybody else.

[00:14:31]>> So it's not Alsonus.

[00:14:33]>> No it's not. It has to be prodded.

[00:14:36]>> Exactly. That's the first observation.

[00:14:37]And Alsonus then reaches for Adysius's hand and makes Loudamas, his son, vacay his chair. But once again, he's not addressing Adysius here. He's not speaking to Adysius. And then rather than saying anything to Adysius once he's seated, he speaks to Pontinus the wine boy.

[00:14:57]>> Yeah.

[00:14:58]>> And says, "Go mix us a bowl and and do all of that stuff."

[00:15:01]>> And that's nice. Yeah.

[00:15:02]>> But it's still not talking to Adysius.

[00:15:04]>> No, no, no. I know it's true. And maybe this is all part of why Nasica wanted him to go in very carefully and throw her her arms around the her mother's knees. Y >> and and and so it all plays out. Um but >> yeah, she knows the eress is particular >> needed proddding to to put forth the general hospital hospitality that that that he would have. And yet even once prodded, he then suddenly says, "Hear what my heart commands. The feast is over. Go home. Go to bed." Which feels very premature in the normal Zenia customs. We have the wine brought out.

[00:15:46]We have the mopping down and the sponging down of the guest and the seat pulled up and they eat their meal and then they tell their story. But there's a bit of a deviation from that where I almost wonder if Alsonus himself is a little anxious perhaps or a little perturbed by the presence of this guest.

[00:16:08]>> And so what we see a lot of the time when people want to leave places is there's almost a very British kind of dance that happens where one of them is like, "You couldn't possibly hold me too And then the other one's like, I couldn't I I I couldn't possibly stay a moment longer. And there's this almost attempt to be more polite than the other person. We see this time and time again through the text uh to this point.

[00:16:35]>> And what I'm wondering here is if Alsonus in his purbed state or or his anxious state sort of needs some reassurance from the stranger that he does actually want to keep eating all this food. Like he's just said, "Help me. Help me. I I I need help.

[00:16:52]>> And half starved and weak, he ate and drank.

[00:16:55]>> Yeah. And but I wonder if Alsonus needs to hear it from Adysius's lips that he wants more food. And that is then what he ends up getting. Adysius says, "No, Alenus, despite the fact that he's not been directly addressed still, even to this point, >> he cuts in and says, "Please think again. I'm starving, bro. Feed me."

[00:17:17]And it's it's it's it's this sort of uh calculation that Odysius makes in saying, "I do need the food, but I also don't want to overstep and tell him what to do. So, I'm going to agree with his plan, but I'm just going to say, can I kind of eat my meal first?"

[00:17:32]>> Yeah.

[00:17:33]>> Yeah. It's >> And then they all agree with him. Yes.

[00:17:35]It's weird. It's a weird welcome.

[00:17:38]>> Yes.

[00:17:38]>> For such a wonderful place, right?

[00:17:40]>> Because everything else until then has been painted in such a lovely, positive light. And um yeah, >> and we then see the the the eating complete. We see the libations being poured to the god. So customs are being followed. So it's not that these people are savage by any means. They're definitely following the expectations just in a slightly weird way. We see a an epithet for Ariti, which is white armed.

[00:18:09]>> Do you know do you know what I like about this?

[00:18:11]>> She noticed his fine clothes, the cloak, and the shirt. She wo herself. Yeah, I like that's great. With help from the slave girls. And so she's sitting there thinking, >> I know those clothing he's wearing that Nostica had given him.

[00:18:24]>> It's almost one of those ones where maybe maybe you've experienced this with your kids, but >> to to sort of wake up one day and you go downstairs and your son or your daughter is wearing something out of your wardrobe and you're like, >> "Don't I know that shirt?" [laughter] >> Exactly. It it really has that energy to it. It does. It does.

[00:18:45]>> And it's at that moment that we finally have Adysius addressed.

[00:18:49]>> And she says, "Stranger, let me be first. Correct. Let me be first to speak to you. Where are you from?" And who gave you those clothes, man? I thought you said you drifted here by sea. So, at last, they've broken this unusual sort of inertia that they've got >> and it's Ariti to do it, not Alsonus.

[00:19:09]Once again, she's the one that is taking the first step there.

[00:19:12]>> Yeah. And do you know what follows now, Milo, and I think is interesting, is that Adysius tells the truth.

[00:19:19]>> He tells what really happened to him. So many times we've seen him weave stories out of nowhere, you know, plucking them out of the sky and and and he'll do that when he gets to Ithaca. And and here he's he actually tells the truth. Yeah.

[00:19:33]He tells what happened to him.

[00:19:35]>> There's one slight exception to that in my opinion. Okay.

[00:19:39]>> Which is that he emits mentioning's hand in the journey.

[00:19:44]>> Okay.

[00:19:45]>> And so I think while he's absolutely telling the truth, there may be parts of him that is >> maybe not the whole truth.

[00:19:52]>> Hiding some truth. Yeah. Exactly. That I I don't know really because I don't know how he might benefit from emitting's participation.

[00:20:01]>> Yeah.

[00:20:02]>> Maybe that is a calculated move. Maybe it's not. But I did notice when reading it that to me, if I had just been saved by a magic scarf, >> I probably mention it and it's nowhere to be seen in that recollection of the of the events.

[00:20:17]>> Yeah.

[00:20:17]>> So, he recalls the Calypso story.

[00:20:20]>> Yes.

[00:20:21]>> And makes sense also to whack a bit of flattery in there towards the end, saying that he saw the girls playing on the beach, your daughter like a goddess and her slaves, and then he says he prayed to her. Young people are not usually so thoughtful. She was so kind to me. So he's making sure that Norse doesn't get in trouble here.

[00:20:41]>> And and there's nothing like praising the children to the parents. Yes. I mean, you know, one is prey to >> Right. Right.

[00:20:48]>> that kind of flattery.

[00:20:49]>> And and so savvy Adysius weaves that into his story. And again, I think that there's uh evidence here maybe to read this as Alsonus' anxiety about the situation popping out once again because he hears this tale.

[00:21:09]He hears the the the the enormity of of of terrible events that's happened to Adysius and rather than focus on any of that, he worries about the one possibility that his daughter was rude.

[00:21:22]>> Yeah. It's the only thing that he comments on. He says >> just one of these things my daughters did wasn't correct. She should have brought you here to ask herself exorced by her slave girls since you supplicated first to her.

[00:21:32]>> And it makes me think that he is a little maybe uh embarrassed by her conduct and therefore that's an anxiousness kind of coming out.

[00:21:42]>> And Adysius covers for her.

[00:21:44]>> Yes.

[00:21:44]>> Because he says, "Your daughter is quite wonderful. Don't blame her. She told me to come here with her slaves, but I was too embarrassed and nervous. I thought you might get annoyed at seeing me.

[00:21:54]>> Right.

[00:21:54]>> We humans on this earth are apt to be suspicious.

[00:21:57]>> Odysius certainly is.

[00:21:59]>> Yeah. And and and he he covers for her.

[00:22:02]>> Yeah.

[00:22:02]>> You know, and that's good. And he should because it's kind of like, you know, >> and she has done him a service.

[00:22:08]>> She has. And he hasn't necessarily been rolling out the red carpet either, so we as we've said >> now.

[00:22:14]>> Yeah. Weirdly, it's with that compliment that Alsenus seems to suddenly change his tune and at last he responds to Adysius, which is nice. And he says, "I wish you would stay here and marry my own daughter and be my son."

[00:22:31]>> I know. It's comes out of nowhere.

[00:22:33]>> And that makes me feel like it's so hollow.

[00:22:35]>> Yeah.

[00:22:36]>> Like surely he doesn't mean that when he doesn't even know his name yet, by the way.

[00:22:39]>> Yeah. He doesn't know who he is. He doesn't know he I guess we have to say to ourselves that Athena has endowed him with a certain radiance on his person.

[00:22:51]That's so true.

[00:22:51]>> That is making them realize that this is somebody special.

[00:22:55]>> Yes.

[00:22:55]>> Because she has enhanced him, so to speak.

[00:22:57]>> Yep. He's been transformed. So he says that and then makes the sort of promise that Adysius will be rode across the peaceful sea until he reaches his land and home, which is exactly what Odysius wants.

[00:23:09]>> It does happen. it happens. Do you know what I mean? Well, there's more in between. So, >> yeah, >> but um >> yeah, >> it's a it's a strong place for Adysius to end the night. I think he probably was feeling pretty chuffed at this stage, >> seeing as he had this awkward king that was a bit afraid to talk to him.

[00:23:26]>> He had to plate Ariti the tiniest bit and then that seemed to just unlock Alsonus' good favor. And so the remaining lines of the of the book are that they make a bed on the porch for him once again.

[00:23:40]>> Once again.

[00:23:41]>> So we see that pattern returning.

[00:23:43]>> Adysius who had endured so much was happy which is nice to hear cuz honestly there's not a lot of happy Adysius in this text.

[00:23:51]>> And that's why I like so much book six.

[00:23:52]I was saying about book six which was happy you know and then he woke up.

[00:23:57][laughter] Yeah.

[00:23:58]>> But you know >> Yeah. It's nice for him to have a good rest. There's so much that we're about to witness where he talks about how even a moment of sleep costs him soarly that book was nice for that. And the closing of book seven being another moment of of good sleep is is nice for that too. So >> why Anderiti calls to her attendance.

[00:24:21]They put out the the the blankets.

[00:24:24]Something I actually haven't mentioned to now and I'm just going to throw this out there. So much of this book is purple.

[00:24:32]So much. The wine dark sea is purple.

[00:24:34]The blankets are purple. This is purple.

[00:24:36]That is purple. You'll see purple everywhere.

[00:24:39]>> It's a royal It's a royal color.

[00:24:42]>> That will explain it because I I originally noticed it and went, "Wouldn't purple be quite a difficult color to achieve?" But maybe that is why it's a royal color. It's a royal color >> is because it would have been rare >> and therefore >> and difficult to achieve.

[00:24:56]>> It's a flex. They're really showing their purple stuff all over the text. And I suppose that is exactly why.

[00:25:04]>> So they go to bed. Adysius is glad to go to sleep after his long adventures.

[00:25:09]Little does he know there's plenty more to come.

[00:25:11]>> Yes.

[00:25:11]>> And Alsonus is sleeping in his room beside his wife who made their bed and shared it.

[00:25:16]>> And they don't say how deep into the palace it is.

[00:25:19]>> Yeah. Yeah. And maybe they're they don't have to worry about anything cuz it's a magical kingdom.

[00:25:23]>> Quite possible. I do think the form of the way that they say Alsonus was sleeping in his room beside his wife who made their bed and shared it. Again, I'm really reaching here in a way that I don't I don't endorse because this is just how I like to consume any text I read and I don't think it really applies to Homer. I I read this in the context of the book and I hear his wife who made their bed and shared it and I wonder if to some extent Homer is trying to say Ariti is in charge and has been in charge of much of the the dynamics of conversation that we've seen so far. She does need to be supplicated first, but even so, she is also fulfilling sort of the duties of a wife here. She isn't a king. That's uh would be a mistake to make that claim.

[00:26:16]>> She's a man.

[00:26:17]>> Absolutely. And so she's fulfilling what they would expect as these qualities that that that she should embody or these actions that she should perform.

[00:26:25]And so maybe the who made their bed and shared it is a a tiny tiny little pointed comment to just help make that point hammered home.

[00:26:34]>> Maybe. Again, I don't endorse this kind of thinking, >> but I can't help it.

[00:26:38]>> Don't go there. [laughter] I I also am interested in what a porch is, >> you know, in the Greek context. Yes. All porches that we've seen in this book, you know, be interesting to see, you know.

[00:26:50]>> And is there a difference between a porch and a portico?

[00:26:54]>> And and >> are we talking about thresholds here?

[00:26:57]>> We are. I think they must be. Does that mean that the if the guest is sleeping in the liinal space?

[00:27:05]>> They're not either inside or out.

[00:27:07]>> Yeah. And that perhaps also you could argue might make them more accessible if a god is going to sort of project a vision into their head. Helpful to have them in a space where the gods can kind of just look down and be like >> boink. I'm going to give you some thoughts now.

[00:27:22]>> Oh no, Milo. The gods are everywhere.

[00:27:25]>> So yeah, >> that's book seven. I really like that one.

[00:27:28]>> I do too. I do too. It's a good book.

[00:27:30]>> I think a lot of these fatian tales have a really nice pace to them.

[00:27:35]>> Yeah. And it's something that I I am enjoying the rapidity of. And I'm also enjoying the magic of it.

[00:27:45]>> Yeah. And especially after I think the first couple of chapters, the first couple of books kind of drag.

[00:27:50]>> Yes.

[00:27:50]>> You know, you need to know everything and and people are, you know, pondering and this and that and and here we're finding about what happened. Tell my story. Bang. Bang. Bang. Yeah. And if you're listening to this and thinking, "Wow, book three was a bit lengthy and book four was a bit lengthy."

[00:28:07]Fear not. We are conscious of that and we are trying to make sure that we are giving you the discussion that you would want to hear without kind of getting bogged down in the details. So, it's something we will be paying attention to as we go forwards cuz there are moments where Homer does just give you a load of info.

[00:28:25]>> Yeah. And sometimes that info is really crucial >> and other times it's just >> it's just Nester yapping. You know what I mean?

[00:28:35]>> So, thank you so much for being with us today. Once again, I've been Milo >> Ruthanne.

[00:28:41]>> And if you'd like to listen to some of the other books that we've got prior to this one or the future books in the Odyssey, they'll be linked in the video description or in the show notes. Thanks so much.

[00:28:53]>> See you next time.

[00:28:54]>> Hell yeah. Bye for now. Bye.